KUALA LUMPUR, February 23 – Police are investigating a businessman’s “donation drive” on social media following allegations of fraud.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department Director, Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, confirmed that an investigation is underway against the individual in question.
“We have recorded statements from those involved in this case,” he told New Straits Times.
The businessman is accused of exploiting individuals he allegedly helped by raising hundreds of thousands of ringgit, including for the poor and disabled.
The man’s modus operandi was to highlight someone’s hardship on social media. In the shared videos, the individuals in need of assistance appeared to share their stories. Donors were provided with the recipients’ bank account numbers, but the businessman allegedly kept their bank cards.
Several victims claimed that although they received a portion of the donated funds, the amount was only a fraction of the total amount raised. They only realized this after retrieving their bank cards and checking their transaction statements.
One victim claimed to have received RM10,500 and a People’s Housing Project (PPR) unit, but the bank statement indicated that RM190,000 had been collected.
Another victim alleged that the businessman had invested RM60,000 of the donated funds into two vending machines for passive income. However, the victim has not received proof of ownership and was only given RM1,300 as a “return” on investment.
It is understood that more than 500 pages of documents, including bank statements, have been submitted to the police to aid in the investigation.
Datuk Seri Ramli urged anyone who felt victimized to come forward and cooperate with the investigation.